Beach pillow and bag



Aug. 2, 1966 M. D. TOWERY 3,263,246

BEACH PILLOW AND BAG Filed March 25, 1964 INVENTOR. MAX 0. TOW 19) A 7' TOPNEYS United States Patent 3,263,246 BEACH PILLOW AND BAG Max D. Towery, 3225 G St., Eureka, Calif. Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,726 4 Claims. (Cl. -337) My invention relates to means for individual and personal use and particularly to a structure useful in and on the beach and at recreation areas in general.

In many beach and recreational activities, particularly in swimming and sunning, there is need for a temporary storage place of some security for personal belongings and there is also need for some sort of pillow or head rest for use during sunning and relaxation periods. It is also of considerable convenience to have an easily portable enclosure for personal belongings.

I have therefore provided a beach pillow and bag effective to contain personal belongings and readily portable for use as a carrier and easily positioned for use as a head rest or pillow.

An object of the invention is to provide a beach pillow and bag which is of compact dimensions and light weight, is easily portable, and is effective to contain personal belongings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a beach pillow and bag which is clean and sanitary and will remain in that condition despite rough use on the beach and careless handling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a beach pillow and bag which is comfortable to use, has considerable carrying capacity, yet is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a beach pillow and bag which is neat and attractive in appearance and can be utilized in a number of different environments.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the form of beach pillow and bag described in the accompanying description and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a beach pillow and bag constructed in accordance with the invention, one end portion being in exploded position;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross section on a vertical plane, the plane of section being indicated by the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section, the plane of which is indicated by the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a detail cross section. the plane of which is indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

The beach pillow and bag of the invention has been incorporated successfully in the form shown herein, although many variant forms can be employed to achieve appropriate end results. In this instance, I conveniently provide a pair of end discs 6 and 7. These are preferably identical and are fabricated of relatively thick but light weight plastic sheet. Each of the discs is substantially circular in general contour, although each has a cut off or tangential portion 8 thereon to serve as a bottom. The two discs are maintained in parallel spaced-apart relationship by a pair of stiff struts 9. These conveniently are rods passing through a pair of apertures 13 in the end discs and are tightly held in place either by force fit or by adhesive. with this arrangement, there is afforded a rigid frame with a chordal or flat base which can stand upright in stable condition.

Each of the discs is provided adjacent its periphery with a number or series of perforations 16. The perforations are so spaced and are of such a size as easily to receive a flexible cord 17. This is conveniently made of plastic material having considerable pliability. The cord is passed in turn through each one of the various perforations 16 so as to span the distance between the discs 6 and 7 and to provide in effect a movable or flexible envelope of generally cylindrical nature around and spaced from the struts 9 and in the vicinity of the margins of the discs. A single cord is preferably utilized and has both of its ends terminated with securing knots 18 to prevent 'dislodgment, although the cord sections between the discs can be provided by a number of separate, individual cords similarly strung and knotted in position at both ends. In either case, the cords are manually flexible toward and away from each other and radially outwardly and inwardly.

As a protection for the cord ends and as a suitable finish for the discs, a pair of caps 19 and 21 is provided. Each of these is a dished member, also of plastic, and has a configuration so as to cover over the cord loops and knots I8 and to surround the discs 6 and 7 underlying the flat portions 8 so that the caps themselves rest on the support. The caps are held in place by screws 22 passing therethrough and engaging into threaded holes in the respective discs 6 and 7.

In order to afford additional support for the cord sec tions when that is requisite and also to afford an enclosed space for confining articles, I mount a bag Ben the two rods or struts 9. The bag is preferably an enclosure of plastic having pairs of openings 24 in each end to be threaded over the struts 9 and thus to confine and locate the bag in supported position. The bag 23 is conveniently of a flexible nature and has a slide closure 26. The ex-' tent and bulk of the bag even when empty are such as to cause it to overlie and cushion the relatively rigid struts 9 and when partially or entirely filled to occupy substantially all of the space within the normal envelope of the cord sections 17.

In the use of the device, when the slide fastener 26 is opened, the bag 23 can easily be filled with articles for personal use. Many of these are of a soft or yielding nature. The partly or entirely filled bag is relatively dis tended and serves as a cushion. Even if the bag is not filled at all, it still serves as a protector and part cushion on the struts 9. Access to the bag is easily attained by laterally spreading apart successive ones of the cord sections. These are easily flexed for that purpose. When the bag has been appropriately filled, the slide closure 26 is fastened. Additional items of personal use can also be introduced between the cord sections 17, preferably below ,or adjacent to the bag'23, but in any case within the general envelope of the cord sections.

When the bag and any adjacent volumes are filled satisfactorily, the assembly can be picked up by flexing an adjacent one or two of the top cords I7 upwardly to serve as a handle. In the handle position, the cords occupy a dotted line location 27 as shown in FIGURE 2. The beach pillow and bag can thus readily be carried. The contents of the bag can be withdrawn at any time by spreading adjacent ones of the cord sections and opening the bag and articles outside of the bag can be withdrawn from between the adjacent cords by flexing them.

When the device is to be utilized as a beach pillow, it can be rested upon the sand and the user can lean against or put his head against the exposed adjacent cord sections, which then flex inwardly until they contact or abut the bag 23, as shown by the dotted lines 28 in FIGURE 2. This inward flexure may even be sufficient to approach the struts 9. .These are rigid and uncomfortable to serve as direct supports, but the intervening bag material covers them and serves as a partial cushion. In most cases, other contents of the bag 23 afford further cushioning so that a comfortable and soft rest is provided.

What is claimed is:

1. A beach pillow and bag comprising a pair of discs having perforations therein, a pair of struts engaging said discs, a flexible cord threaded through said perforations and spanning the distance between said discs, a bag mounted on said struts and disposed in position to be engaged by said cord when flexed, and caps on said discs and overlying said cord threaded through said perforations.

2. A beach pillow and bag comprising a pair of rigid discs having a ring of perforations therein adjacent the periphery of the discs, :1 pair of struts engaging said discs and holding said discs in spaced relationship, a flexible cord threaded through said perforations and spanning the distance between said discs to define a flexible envelope. a bag mounted on said struts and disposed within said envelope in position to be engaged by said cord when flexed, and means on said discs overlying said cord threaded through said perforations.

3. A beach pillow and bag comprising a pair of rigid end discs each having a series of perforations therein; means including a strut for holding said discs :1 predetermined distance apart; a flexible bag mounted on said holding means between said discs; flexible cord sections passing through the perforations in said series, spanning the distance between said discs and movable into contact with said bag; and caps on said discs covering the ends of said cord sections.

4. A beach pillow and bag comprising a pair of disclike end supports each having a plurality of cord-receiving openings therein; means including a strut for holding said end supports a predetermined distance apart; a flexible bag mounted on said holding means between said end supports; flexible cord sections disposed in said openings, spanning the distance between said end supports and movable into contact with said bag; and caps on said end supports overlyingthe adjacent portions of said cord sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 982,442 1/1911 Rebhun 5-337 1,082,171 12/1913 Rahn 5-337 1,935,034 11/1933 Law 5-337 2,726,713 12/1955 Turner 5-19O X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A BEACH PILLOW AND BAG COMPRISING A PAIR OF DISCLIKE END SUPPORTS EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF CORD-RECEIVING OPENINGS THEREIN; MEANS INCLUDING A STRUT FOR HOLDING SAID END SUPPORTS A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE APART; A FLEXIBLE BAG MOUNTED ON SAID HOLDING MEANS BETWEEN SAID END SUPPORTS; FLEXIBLE CORD SECTIONS DISPOSED IN SAID OPENINGS SPANNING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID END SUPPORTS AND MOVABLE INTO CONTACT WITH SAID BAG; AND CAPS ON SAID END SUPPORTS OVERLYING THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID CORD SECTIONS. 